by Brian (K3ES)

In case you haven’t seen previous Field Reports in this series, let me set the stage.  In September and October of 2024, my wife, Becky, and I set out with our dog, Molly, for a great cross-country driving adventure.

We left from our home in northwest Pennsylvania on September 18, driving west to spend some time with my parents at their home in California’s Bay Area.  We returned home on October 31, after driving through most of the states of the American West.  One of the goals for this trip was to activate Parks on the Air (POTA) entities in as many new states as possible along the way (it turns out that with good planning and good weather, it is possible to activate a LOT of states).  An overview of our trip can be found in the following Field Report (linked) on QRPer.com:  Six Weeks and 7300 Miles:  Activating on the Road.

On the westward leg of our trip, we zipped through Ohio and Indiana in a single marathon day of driving, without stopping to activate a park.  There was no intent to diminish these fine states of our union, but I had previously activated parks there.

On the return leg of the trip, our priorities and our perspectives had changed a bit, so we made up for our previous inattention by activating new parks in both states on the way home.  The change in priority came with the realization that we had succeeded in activating every state that I had planned to complete.  I have now activated every lower 48 state west of the Mississippi River, save Arkansas and Louisiana (we intentionally left them for a future trip through the southern states).  The change in perspective came from the realization that activating a park made for a nice break during a day of driving.

We planned for a modest 3-1/2 hour drive on our final day of the trip, so that we could arrive home before dark.

We spent the night near Mansfield, OH, and took our time getting breakfast and checking out in the morning.  We had also looked over our maps and found an Ohio park to activate during the drive:  Lake Milton State Park, US-3515.

Lake Milton State Park

As I-76 runs east-to-west across northern Ohio, it crosses over the middle of Lake Milton.  For radio amateurs familiar with other attractions along the I-76 corridor, Lake Milton is about 20 miles east of the DX Engineering store.

Lake Milton State Park incorporates the lake itself, as well as selected land around the lake-shore.    We decided to head for one of the park’s picnic areas, located on the eastern shore of the lake near the I-76 bridge.  We found a parking lot, a large grassy area running down to the lake, picnic shelters, and comfort facilities.  As Becky took Molly for a walk around the grounds, I set up to operate from a table in a picnic shelter.

It was a nice afternoon at the park.  The weather was warm and sunny, but a stiff breeze was blowing across the lake.  An American flag stood straight out from flagpole, and soaring gulls hung near-motionless in the sky.  Both provided evidence of the wind’s power.  The warmth of the day and the winds cooling effect were in perfect balance to produce a comfortable environment for activating, even though the breeze provided a bit of audio spectrum QRN.

The Activation

I tossed a throw-line over a branch on one of the large trees near the shelter, and quickly hoisted up my Tufteln 35 ft end-fed random wire (EFRW) antenna.  With the antenna set up, I connected the rest of the station.  Moments later, my log was ready, and I was on the air.

I was able to spend an hour on the air, and with the EFRW and the KX2’s amazing internal tuner, I was able to rapidly transition between HF bands.  Operating CW mode at 5 watts, I was successful in making contacts on the 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, and 10m Amateur bands.  In total, I logged 30 contacts, including 3 DX stations from Europe, a thoroughly satisfying activation experience.

Gear

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• Elecraft KX2
• SideKX end-panels and cover for the KX2
• Bioenno 3 Ah LiFePO4 battery
• Tufteln EFRW antenna with 35 ft radiator and 17 ft counterpoise
• 15 ft RG316 feedline with BNC male connectors at each end
• Homebrew VK3IL-designed, pressure paddles
• Generic earbuds
• Rite in the Rain No. 946 notepads
• Pentel Twist-Erase mechanical pencil in 0.9mm
• US M7 Army Light Weight Service Mask pouch:  WWII vintage, canvas construction
• Arborist kit with 2mm Marlow Excel line and Petzel 9 oz (250g) throw bag and Tom Bihn Small Travel Tray stuff sack

Conclusion

Packing up the station went quickly, and we were back in the truck and ready for the final leg of our trip.  In about 2 hours of driving, we were pulling into our own driveway for the first time in a month and a half.  It is difficult to fully describe the feeling.  It was really nice to be back home.  The prospects of sleeping in my own bed and relaxing in my own chair were really welcome.

But, at the same time, this adventure was over, and we would soon be back to our old routines.  After 6 weeks together, Becky, Molly and I would again be headed in the different directions occasioned by our day-to-day activities.  So, there was gladness of a return to the familiar, combined with the bittersweet feeling of the end of our travel adventure.

As I think about our trip from the distance of almost 6 months, and a long, cold winter, I realize that I am ready to start thinking seriously about our next driving (and radio) adventure!

Best 73 de Brian, Becky es Molly